Thomas f



(No Model.)

T, F. HBNNESY.

SLED PROPELLER. No] 421,933. Patented Feb 15,1890.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

THOMAS F. IIENNESY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EMILKUBITZ, OF SAME PLACE.

SLED-PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,933, dated February25, 1.890.

Application filed January 4., 1890. Serial No. 335,889. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. I-1ENNEsY,a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented an Improvement in Propelling and Controlling Sleds, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for propelling sleds by the action of thehands and feet of the one riding; and my obj ect is the combination of afew simple parts so arranged in relation to one another that very littleexpense is added to the building of an ordinary sled with a propellingapparatus, thus adapting it to the wants of children and at a costwithin the means of everybody.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View; Fig. 2, a top view;Fig. 3, a View of a propelling-crank, and Fig. 4, a perspective view ofthe controlling-levers detached from the sled.

Similar ref erence-letters indicate like parts in the several views.

A shows the top board, and B the runner on the right side of an ordinarysled. The sled shown is composed of four bouts of posts a, b, c, and d.The ends of the cross-pieces which connect the posts from side to sideand upon which the top board A rests, are shown at e, f, g, and h.

At t', j, and 7c and 11, j, and 7c are shown iron braces, the lower endsof which are secured to the ends of the cross-pieces at g and h, bothsides of the sled, and at the top end of the runners at Z and Z. Thereare other brace-rods shown at m and n and at m and 'n, Fig. 2. The topsof all these braces are firmly secured to the crank-shaft boxes C and D,and are for the purpose of holding these boxes solidly in the properposition above the sled to receive the crank-shafts, as shown in Figs. 1and 2. The crankshafts and the cranks 0, p, and q are usually formed ofone piece of round steel, asshown by Fig. 3. The ends, as shown at o ando, are provided with a spool to form a handle, which turns loosely uponits crank-pin. The double cranks at p and p and the single cranks at qand q have journaled on their pins rods of wood or metal F and G and Fand G, and these rods are speed.

the rod are secured to the rear sides of the.

posts of the bent h by means of a staple shown at 1", Figs. 1 and 4.Each of these elbow-levers has arms 3 and 5', made of such a length thatthey will contact with the surface of the road when the foot-plates tand t are pressed by the feet of the operator of the sled. The arms 5and s of the elbow-levers H and I are held from contact with the surfaceof the road by means of spiral springs, Fig. 1, at v. The upper end ofeach spring is attached to the under side of the top of the sled, andthe lower end of each spring is attached to its respective lever.

The seat is shown at K, in Figs. 1 and 2, and it can be shifted in itsposition longitudinally with the sled, and is held at any desired placeby means of pins w, Fig. 1, these pins being secured to the bottom ofthe seat on each side. These pins fit into holes 00, bored into the topA. of the sled.

In operation the person to ride takes his position on the seat K, andthere being a large square-shaped opening L through the top board A, becan place his feet directly upon the foot-plates t and ii. To propel thesled, the hands grasp the handle-spools 0 and 0, and by turning thecranks in either direction the rods G and F and G and F are caused toreciprocate. The lower ends of these rods, coming in contact with theroad near the rear of the sled, act to push the sled for ward, and therebeing four of the rods, and

their action taking effect at various times in the revolution of thecranks, together with the momentum of the sled, causes an almost.regular forward movement at a high rate of If from any cause one of thecranks It or E is turned more rapidly than the other,

or any change in the direction the sled is running is required, or incase it is desired to come to a full stop, either oneof these resultscan be quickly and efficiently attained by pressing either one or bothof the feet, as may be necessary, upon the foot-plates t and t of theelbow-levers II and I, which will cause the arms 8 and s to 'drag uponthe surface of the road at the side of the runners B and producefriction sufficient to accomplish the desired purpose.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a sled, the combination of thedriving-shafts E and E, provided with cranks 0 0' and p q p q, pitmen GF G F, attached to said cranks, as shown, boxes D and O, in Which arejournaled said shafts E and E, braces i j k ij k and m n m a, saidbraces being firmly attached to said boxes and to the body of the sled,as shown and-described.

2. In a sled, in combination with the propellin g mechanism, andoperated in conjunction therewith, the controlling mechanlsm consistingof two elbow-levers H and I, pivotally attached at the under side of thetop of the sled, to a rod J, said rod being attached at each end to thefront bent d of the sled, and spiral springs o for lifting theelbow-levers from contact With the road, the parts being constructed,arranged, and operated substan- 3o tially as shown, and for the purposespecified.

